Shooting The Scene

Lesson 12 of 15

Interior Shoot: Over the Shoulder & Details

Shooting The Scene

Lesson 12 of 15

Interior Shoot: Over the Shoulder & Details

Lesson Info

Interior Shoot: Over the Shoulder & Details

So let's let's look at what we've got to look at here there is there's like the idea of doing you know, over the shoulder shot that just the that's just a notebook and then we also kind of want to be able to do something that shows what's on the table and I'm wondering like they're two ways to do to do that we could we can kind of look over you know we can see the whole table over his shoulder or we can we can ask lex to stand out we can go and see kind of what dance point of view might be right? So if we're if we're inside we're going toe will be set the table back to where it goes um but if we're if we're inside where dan would be and say we've got a shot of his his teacup and maybe we do some sort of a little dolly move on the teacup like that and you know we can get away with that even though we don't have something that extends us over the table just by cheating the teacup closer to closer to this edge to where we want it to be so I kind of remember where that is go here so we cou...

ld you know we can get a shot of the teacup that looks like that and just that I'm trying not to change my height but just you like a straight dalian and that might does that seemed like it might be kind of mysterious looking said this that seemed like the right mood journal or the phone well I think way kind of need all of them but for whatever reason I was drawn to the teacup first um but yeah so but I'm kind of jumping I'm jumping through the ideas quickly I also like definitely want to get the papaya too I think you know, even though it was meant to be a pomegranate but pomegranates are not in season they go out of season in january in california which you knew so so we had to go for a pion said instead still has the little ground seeds but they're not his red so yes, we could do the same we can do the same kind of thing on the journal a cz well so um uh and maybe there is just this is kind of a little bit of a move the thing about the journal you know in terms of a clean shot is that he was right there right his s o we're going to have to figure out like do we want to get an angle where his hand comes into it um and you know or do we want to get close enough where we feel like we're not missing that that his hand was there and that he was writing in it the whole time? Wasn't it you pulled out as he puts his hand the pen ground and steps away that's a good idea so but you know the moment in the scene where you might use the shot of the journal would be you know, at the beginning when he's trying to think of something to write I'm imagining so um so uh that's you know, maybe there is something where were here and then saved max would you mind coming back for a second? Maybe the way we handle the journal because he was he was so close to it and show yeah just have a seat and and show me how you are sitting before so maybe the way we handle the journalist is you know, in a shot that's kind of like this um and do we want to have something where you start like start out take take it to the moment before you start writing pull back a little bit or you were you sitting um you were always sitting close to the table like this, right? Yeah. So like we need if your hand's moved I feel like there is there is a moment if you khun bring your hands toe one side or the other instead of over the top of the journal right? Yeah like that when we can have that as a starting moment in the scene and then you hold that for a beat and then on action he brings his hands and that you know because I feel like we want to show the empty page there there has to be a moment of of the you know, the page being empty beforehand does that make sense yeah yeah all right so this way no, we've got a shot like this and then we know we're going to do those kind of little move you know, maybe they're moves maybe there's still just on the other things that are on the table that makes sense okay, cool. So so why don't we move the camera out of the way we should reset the table back tio back to where it was and you will be set the props back to where they were I think this this would be on sticks all right on that was I was about here so it seems like neither were up all the way or I marked you at forty six. Okay, so that's baby's still yeah. All right cool way to go down and in the frame yes and I'm wondering if you have that set up at all did not set that up. Good question. Good clarification when we said yesterday you've done two workshops yes this is shooting the scene and your first workshop wass cinematographer prepared separate workshop of encourage you you can purchase both it makes a great hand in hand set up on it's a frame one set the frame line setting in the camera and you like each camera is a little bit different like with this camera you can set it up inside there but it gets it gets a little bit complicated to get it exactly the way I want so I didn't get it on this one you know, with the alexa I have some better pre built and I could just load them in it's but it actually involves like writing x xml code um, which I had to figure out um so we'll get the camera dialed in here and I think we can and so I think we'll waken move the kino blow out of there I like what's happening with like what's happening with the light coming in the window and it's still it's still pretty consistent let me check this stop yeah, so we still should be around to eight with an n d nine so so let's say, lex, would you mind coming in sitting back in please just make sure that we've got this right? I feel like it's feels a little low from where I was, but let's see well, let's see what happens? I'm feeling a little bit farther back to that's, probably just because we moved it yeah, yeah all right, so we're gonna spend the legs round hold on, watch out, relax is this one of the ones where the sun shade will come off the map box but keep the filter holder in our way can't can't take this. All right, so let's see, watch your neck. I'm just gonna try I think we need to go higher. Um, yeah, okay, I want to go standards, I think we might need standards some let's give that a try because it does seem like it needs to be more of a straight down shot. All right, so one of the things there's a there's, a little key way little bump on the tripod, what they just did was turned it so that the two tripods have the key way facing in the same direction. So when the camera comes off, it could just go from one to the other without having to, like, walk around it and try to spin the head. I'm trying to know this stuff like that that people kind of do instinctively. All right, cool. You're clear on him and stop all right. So right now, just from the operator standpoint, watch what happens when I tell this camera forward by that go it bounces back up and that's because there's a spring in there, if you have a very if the camera is very heavy and you tilt it forward it will be you have to fight to get it back so there's a counterbalance spring and this on this tripod everyone is different but on this one has got a little crank so I'll tilted forward to where I want and you know but it's it's fighting me so reduce the amount of counter balance until camera kind of stays where I put it without you know without me having to fight with it and you know and it's still like you know aiken tilt it up and down with one finger and pretty much stays where I leave it and that's like you know in terms of being the smooth operator like getting yourself dialed in like that this key um so uh that's the shot I was thinking of right there getting ever so slightly yeah let's just watch your head there's a camera right next to you has has this seeming jessica can you see that for when I saw it there looks really yeah here, check it out here you see it on? Yeah, that much I think you could save that for us. I think it's let's just see what it's doing and I think it's probably not doing anything that helps us yeah yeah, I love the quality of light here it's you know it's very soft and beautiful, okay, great, so that seem good to you, all right, cool all right, so I think we are we're ready to go so I feel like you should you could just start with your left hand out and you're right and then we'll give it a couple beats and then if I just move this like that all right, good. Uh that was actually better before all right um yeah, that seems good all right, so how you feeling, teresa? Good alright and stops to eight and I think we're ready to go so why don't we why don't we roll on this so we'll say roll sound and then I will reach for the site good marker on standby. Okay, set okay, now you can go in all right. What do we think on how does that feel? Did you like like, all the writing and the performance? Uh can I be nit picky? You know yes for sure waken get another set up um if there's a way to get the cup in there so sure let's give that a try. We're just a cup normally live somewhere around here. Yeah was right. All right, so we have to get a little bit wider, so I feel like that's you know, that's we would just change the camera position a little bit and, you know, include some are on the table, so should we try that thank god you're home just right figure let it slide back a little bit this way. Way. Okay, so all right and then, um I'm feeling like something is going on here aggression when you're writing that's better right? Okay, so bubbles still looking good? Yeah. Let's, let's move the cup. I'm gonna cheat the couple of what? My scene in the cattle. I feel like we're okay back here going on? Um, I'm right here. Um, you know, can we get one of those, uh, poor buys right there that will kill that reflection? Anybody have a problem with with that chief of the cup? Wait, we can get away with that's good. Just keeps my pants out of it anyway. All right? Another jungle tip always wear dark colored clothes to set. Yeah, all right. And then the other thing we can do is I'm just gonna do a little cheating here to bring the phone every so slightly more into this shot. You know, when we see it ring we don't, since we're not set up to actually call the phone right now, if we do want to see it ring at some point it would be a visual effect which may not be in our budget, so maybe we do have to call the phone, but right now I think this looks good but what do you think you like this shot say blacks can you move the notebook just a little bit to your right yeah good that's it yeah, that feels good and then you shall we try to get the papaya and yeah for sure all right, so you know I'm gonna back up a little bit more sorry on all right good that read back there should do it. Yeah, right. Okay, cool. This is looking good. Yeah and that flag yeah definitely takes a bunch of bad stuff out of the reflection what I like better cutting off that part of the teapot. Yeah, I do like this seems trying to include the whole teapot seems a little something but I like seeing I like all that black on the right side of the frame so yeah, I think this seems right. Okay, cool. What? Everybody good good back at the village all right. Awesome. So all right let's let me just double check the exposure where it's pretty close here. It won so at eight hundred saying in eight minus three stops is to eight and that's what we got right good. So feeling uh feeling strong let's go for this one all right, ready and so we roll sound someone says speed and stand by okay and market good reset and just everybody back there hold still so that if there is a reflection we don't see it and ok action so I feel like in the last, like what probably five minutes that we have maybe we could get a couple of we'll knock out a couple of little detail shots on the table just the teacup, the the papaya, the phone you know, just like it'll give you things to intercut with those various side shots that we did of of lex and we wouldn't need blacks for them so so let's let's take a look at that I'm just going toe pull out artemus lisa actor then I think we could I think you know that would be it for for lex thank you very much way around. All right, thank you so much for joining us today and where can I find you online really worked hard today. Thank you. Uh, guys confined me on facebook or instagram. My instagram name is alexa wanted ale ks uh a o u a e that's my yeah follow on instagram nice work. Thank you. Thank you very much. I appreciate you having me. Thank you. So thanks. And also thanks to daisy as well we forgot to thank her before she left yes, thanks for a d in gym so I have somebody keep on top of that I I'm actually kind of famously bad for that we did were doing some kind of second unit stuff night driving on boys don't cry and it was it was the middle of the night out in the middle of nowhere in texas and my friend and I were on the insert car driving behind you for the car driving shots and but it was just there was no assistant director there was just me and my buddy and camera system in the car driver and then the stunt driver in the other car so I you know, I got on the radio and I asked the police to lock up the road and we did it taking it so well that was good. Do another take forty five minutes later I finally get over the radio, you know, from from the police officer. So can we let these people go here that we've got locked up and I said, oh yeah of course I need to remember that was me not being a very good first aid, so I appreciate you keeping on top of that kind of stuff big village it does it really does um all right, so dialing in the camera to approximately where you were and I think we can get these shots because the tabletop is sort of uniform here's another kind of cheating thing we can do way can more or less just move the move the camera to where I want it here and then we can move props in in front of the camera so yeah ross if you step out of there you're actually reflected in that plate um I'm just gonna do you like I want to be a little more over this you see you see you make one into one for the first one, huh? Yeah okay so if I'm even know that seems nice I feel everyone there needs to be some sense of closeness and intimacy with all these things on the table because his head was right there how you feeling about this job is this it doesn't seem too tight or uh doesn't seem like he's you know, like he's looking at the table maybe it is a heritage site that way you're going for here is looking at it yeah feels very okay cool thiss yeah I feel like it's yeah it needs to be somewhere around the middle I think that part right there thinking like you want to be right about there yeah this line right here yeah ok that's where I met that seems about right I'm just gonna go since I can look at the bigger monitor go just a hair deeper teresa how's that a little more alright yeah somewhere in there seems good yeah okay, so we're just checking focus and one other thing I noticed which is this one see right there alright done um and you know, this is like, you know, the kind of cool soft quality of this light is it's exactly right? I think for this sort of setting up for the supernatural appearance that that's about to happen and just you know, it makes the fruit look really nice too just like, you know, kind of for free we're getting this beautiful north light here that if we had tried to do this in the studio it would never happen so all right again just compulsively double check the exposure and yeah, two eight seems like it should be good um so let's roll on this yeah, I think let's call this mos because I don't think we need that this isn't going to make any sound so so we can we'll start out with the sticks closed and if you hold it so that you know so that you can see that they never clapped and you know, why don't you hold it right above there and I'll tilt up for it way get it good all right got it and frame up ok seems like frame three four six they should give about ten seconds of these kind of insert shots because it's about is longer than anybody would ever hold on it I'm gonna make a little adjustment um or uh six seven, eight, nine ten okay and we'll cut all right and now um I'll just uh I'll switch this out for a coffee cup and coffee cup was a little closer to him maybe do it like this way tilt down phone somewhere around there is are we go for good I think one of your edge and right now we can see that there's water in there do isn't important that there be that their beauty so the speak up and say no we're out of time all right because I was going to say just put any color any dark colored thing in there and movie magic there you go all right it's swish it around a little bit yeah that's great I love alright good making a mess go it's tea all right I love it okay good said it now I would say go for the water whatever that knew you made substances and if we were if we really were not out of time I would say now is the time for hot water but alas I feel like it should be um since he was on the right side of the frame I feel like we should frame in a little bit like that right? Yes yeah the phone yeah right liquids and focus but the plane of focus sharp focus is also going through the phone which may not I'm going to try a version since we've got that with fun out so that it you know, because your id does tend to go for the thing that's in focus, and in this case is going for the tea, uh, which seems right, okay? And I think we got enough of that. Oh, sorry, let's, roll, you know, and we'll get this late. We're going to do a tail slate on this, so I don't have to change the frame. Yes, exactly. So you hold it upside down. Four, three, six, seven. Okay, so now I'll break the frame and tilt up and rights and that's good, and I flip it over so that people don't want to turn upside down in the editing room. They can read it, okay, and show it again. All right, great. And we got it. Good.

Class Description

There is no greater filmmaking challenge than translating one’s cinematic vision into a practical shooting plan that produces edit-able footage. In Shooting The Scene, renowned cinematographer Jim Denault, ASC teaches you how to take a production plan and shoot efficiently, economically, and artistically.

Jim’s award-winning work includes The Campaign, Boys Don't Cry, and Game Change. In this class, he’ll share insights from his experience shooting both indie and studio films and teach you how to translate your vision into a series of filmed units (aka “coverage”). You’ll learn how to:

Set the aesthetic and technical approaches for each shot

Determine how many shots you’ll need within a scene

Balance practical limitations and still acquire what's best for the scene

Shooting The Scene will help all cinematographers, camera operators, and filmmakers develop a more systematic approach to planning a shoot. You’ll become more equipped to take an idea that only lives in your mind and turn it into an actionable shooting plan.

Kevin Baggott

I had worked briefly many years ago on a shoot that jim was the DP for. I was very impressed with how he ran the set. It was a great pleasure to watch this course. Learnt many things. I would highly recommend it.

Kervin

This was a very informative class. It's great to see the thought process and solutions that go into a well executed scene.